Post by Keith on Aug 19, 2019 7:31:54 GMT -6

Turkey says its convoy attacked in Syria, three civilians killed

ANKARA (Reuters) - A Turkish military convoy was attacked en route to one of its observation posts in northwest Syria on Monday, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said, adding that three civilians were killed and 12 others wounded in the air strike.

The ministry said in a statement that the attack violated Ankara’s agreements and cooperation with Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful ally. It said Russia had been told in advance about the convoy.

Post by Keith on Aug 19, 2019 7:32:43 GMT -6

Civilian death toll mounts as Syrian offensive widens

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes have killed more than two dozen civilians in northwestern Syria in the last two days in an escalation of a Russian-backed offensive against the last major rebel stronghold, a war monitor and local activists said on Saturday.

An air strike in the village of Deir Sharki killed seven members of one family, most of them children, on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Another seven people were killed by bombardments in other areas, it said.

On Friday, air strikes in the village of al-Haas killed 13 people. The dead included a pregnant woman and her unborn baby, local activists and the Observatory said. They had been seeking shelter after fleeing another area.

Post by Keith on Aug 19, 2019 7:33:23 GMT -6

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb killed one member of a security force and wounded two others in the Kurdish-controlled city of Qamishli in northeastern Syria on Sunday, the security force said.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack which it said had killed six members of a Kurdish militant group.

The car bomb targeted a training facility that was being guarded by members of the internal security force for northern and eastern Syria, also known as the Asayish, a statement released by the security force said.

Post by Keith on Aug 19, 2019 7:34:00 GMT -6

Iran says U.S. move on north Syria safe zone is "provocative"

DUBAI (Reuters) - A U.S. agreement to set up a safe zone in northern Syria, a close ally of Iran, is “provocative and worrisome”, the Iranian foreign ministry was reported to have said by the semi-official Fars news agency.

The United States and Turkey last week agreed to set up a joint operations center for a proposed zone along Syria’s northeast border.

“Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi ... said the recent announcements and agreements by American officials about creating a safe zone in northern Syria are provocative and worrisome,” Fars reported.

Post by Keith on Aug 19, 2019 7:34:40 GMT -6

Air strikes hit near Turkish convoy in Idlib: Syrian Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes hit positions near a Turkish convoy which was stuck at a highway in northwest Syria after crossing into Idlib province on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The British-based war monitoring group said one fighter from a Turkey-backed faction accompanying the convoy was killed and others were injured.

Syrian state media said the convoy entered Syria on Monday to help insurgents in the town of Khan Sheikhoun who are fighting a government advance, calling it an act of aggression. There was no immediate comment from Ankara.

Post by Keith on Aug 19, 2019 7:35:14 GMT -6

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian air strikes hit near a Turkish military convoy that approached frontlines in northwest Syria on Monday as government forces advanced on a rebel-held town, a monitor and a rebel source said.

There was no immediate comment from Ankara, which backs some of the rebel factions in the northwest and has deployed forces into Idlib province under deals with Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful ally.

Syrian state media called the Turkish convoy an act of aggression and said it had entered to help insurgents in the town of Khan Sheikhoun fighting an army advance.

Post by Keith on Aug 20, 2019 7:26:57 GMT -6

Syrian army poised to take key town after rebel withdrawals

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces look set to recover a strategic town that has been in rebel hands since 2014 in a major Russian-backed offensive into the opposition’s last major stronghold.

An organization that monitors the war and a pro-Damascus military source said insurgents had withdrawn from Khan Sheikhoun overnight, though the main insurgent group in the area said rebels still held part of the town and fighting continued.

Capturing Khan Sheikhoun would be an important gain for President Bashar al-Assad into the northwestern region where his bid to recover “every inch” of Syria has run into complications including Turkish forces on the ground.

Post by Keith on Aug 20, 2019 7:29:03 GMT -6

Syrian government forces march into Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib: Observatory, rebel source

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian army troops and their allies entered Khan Sheikhoun in northwest Syria, advancing against insurgents in the town where ground battles raged on Monday night, a monitor and a rebel source said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitoring group, said the army seized the town’s northern and eastern districts. The source, from one of the rebel factions there, said pro-government forces entered only part of the town and rebels were waging fierce battles to fend them off.

Post by Keith on Aug 20, 2019 7:30:52 GMT -6

Islamic State could re-emerge in Syria, Chinese envoy warns

GENEVA (Reuters) - China’s envoy said on Tuesday that there was a danger of Islamic State forces reviving in Syria and called for progress in the political process between the Assad government and opposition.

“There is now a danger of terrorist organizations like ISIS being revived, we see some signs ... The fight against terrorism needs to be finished,” Chinese Special Envoy Xie Xiaoyan told reporters after talks with U.N. Special Envoy Geir Pedersen in Geneva.

Post by Keith on Aug 20, 2019 7:31:25 GMT -6

Turkey says air strike hit Syria convoy, killed three

BEIRUT/ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey said an air strike on a Turkish military convoy in northwest Syria killed three civilians and wounded 12 on Monday as Syrian troops advanced against rebels inside a key town.

Syrian government air strikes hit near the convoy that was approaching front lines in Idlib province, two Turkey-backed rebel sources and a war monitor said.

Ankara, which backs some of the rebel factions in the northwest, has forces stationed in Idlib under deals with Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s most powerful ally.

Post by Duck on Aug 20, 2019 7:35:18 GMT -6

As the Syrian army advanced against Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham rebel forces in the key southern Idlib town of Khan Sheikhoun, Turkish Air Force F-16 fighters on Tuesday, Aug. 20 flew over the battle scene, causing Russian Su-35 fighters at the Khmeimim air base near Latakia to scramble in response. They warned the Turkish pilots to withdraw or else be shot down. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Russians accompanied their ultimatum by positioning the S-300 and S-400 air defense batteries deployed at the base at the ready. A short time later, when the Turkish air crews saw the Russian Su-35s flying alongside, they turned tail and left Syrian air space.

Western military sources tracking the fighting in Idlib believe that, although the Turkish pilots were told to break contact with their Russian pursuers on Tuesday, they may try again if the rebel force supported by Ankara falls back under the Russian-backed Syrian government offensive. The danger of a direct Turkish-Russian air engagement is therefore likely to recur.

Post by Keith on Aug 21, 2019 7:11:11 GMT -6

Islamic State could re-emerge in Syria, Chinese envoy warns

GENEVA (Reuters) - A senior Chinese official said on Tuesday that there was a danger of Islamic State militants re-emerging in Syria and called for progress in the political process between the Damascus government and the opposition to end the war.

“There is now a danger of terrorist organizations like ISIS being revived, we see some signs in some of the places,” Chinese Special Envoy Xie Xiaoyan told reporters after talks with U.N. Special Envoy Geir Pedersen in Geneva.

“So the fight against terrorism needs to be continued. They need to be finished,” he added. “The international community should pay attention to the early warning.”

Post by Keith on Aug 21, 2019 7:11:50 GMT -6

Syrian army poised to take key town after rebel withdrawals

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces look set to recover a strategic town that has been in rebel hands since 2014 in a major Russian-backed offensive into the opposition’s last major stronghold.

An organization that monitors the war and a pro-Damascus military source said insurgents had withdrawn from Khan Sheikhoun overnight, though the main insurgent group in the area said rebels still held part of the town and fighting continued.

Capturing Khan Sheikhoun would be an important gain for President Bashar al-Assad into the northwestern region where his bid to recover “every inch” of Syria has run into complications including Turkish forces on the ground.

Post by Keith on Aug 21, 2019 7:12:43 GMT -6

Tens of thousands flee Russian-led onslaught on opposition enclave

AMMAN (Reuters) - Ten of thousands of people have fled to the Turkish border in the last few days as the Syrian army pushed a major advance further into the opposition’s last major stronghold, residents, rights groups and opposition sources said on Wednesday.

They left Maarat al-Numan, a main city in Idlib province that has been a sanctuary for families fleeing former rebel areas, as a Russian-led campaign has come close to capturing the strategic town of Khan Sheikhoun further to the south.

“The flow of cars and vehicles leaving is not stopping,” said Abdullah Younis from the city. Rescuers there said around 60,000 people had fled in the last four days alone.